“Folk art” is the confusing name given to some things made by untrained artists.

From the 1930s into the 1950s, antique collectors might have called these pieces “primitive” or named them for a region, like “Pennsylvania German style.” By the 1950s, some daring collectors were searching for woodcarvings, painted chests, sculptures and paintings that lacked the realism of a scene or portrait by a trained artist. Everything was handmade.

Today folk art includes not only informal handmade items, but also commercial pieces like iron doorstops, carousel horses, store signs, weathervanes and some toys.

By the 1960s, there were homemade and factory-made folk art lamps assembled from bottles, metal fire extinguishers, milk cans and store tins. Other lamps were made by Boy Scouts, prisoners, soldiers or housewives using patterns in craft magazines.

Driftwood, unsophisticated pottery, walnut shells and even antique toasters were used to make lamps. But the most popular and pricey appear to be constructions made of old cigar boxes, Popsicle sticks or hammered brass bullet casings. Today, top prices are paid for lamps made of small glued pieces of carved wood that show the skill of the maker. Another style is “tramp art,” made from chip-carved pieces of cigar boxes.

The ice pop, invented in 1905, was named “Popsicle” in 1924. The wooden sticks from the icy treat were probably used for crafts from the beginning. Boxes of unused sticks were available in stores by the 1950s.

Prices are based on the originality and talent of the lamp's maker and how eager a collector is to own the unique piece, so they can range from $25 to thousands of dollars.

A one-of-a-kind 1910 floor lamp by an unknown artist sold last fall at Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter, a Maryland auction house, for a surprising $27,600, well over estimate. The 5-foot-tall lamp was made of carved and stained pine and cedar. The wooden shade and center column are covered with carved and applied birds and designs.

Q: I would like to know the order of marks on items made in Japan. Which is oldest, “Nippon,” “Made in Occupied Japan,” “Made in Japan” or just “Japan”? Does it make a difference if the mark is red, green, black or another color?

A: Most pieces marked with the name of a country were made after 1891, when the McKinley Tariff Act was passed. Pieces from Japan were marked “Nippon,” the transliteration of the Japanese word for Japan. After 1915 the words “Made in ...” usually were added. Beginning in 1921, U.S. Customs required country names to be in English, and the word “Japan” was used instead of “Nippon.” Items marked “Made in Occupied Japan” were made between February 1947 and April 1952. After that, just the word “Japan” was used again. According to experts on 19th- and 20th-century Japanese ceramics, the color does not help date a mark. Red, green and black were used most years. There is no explanation for when other colors were used.

Q: I recently bought a desk and chair at a thrift store for $29. The front of the desk pulls down to reveal a storage compartment. There is a sticker under the desk that says “Ferguson Furniture, Hoboken, N.J.” Can you tell me how old it is?

A: Ferguson Brothers Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1898 by Harry and Louis Ferguson. The company was incorporated in Hoboken in 1900. It was run by members of the family until 1953, when it was sold to Sun-Glo Industries. Ferguson made inexpensive reproduction furniture and “furniture novelties,” including cedar chests, cellarettes, folding screens, folding tables, humidors and smoker stands. Your set sounds like a bargain.

Q: My Wonder Woman hand mirror from Avon is in its original box marked “DC Comics Inc., 1978.” The handle of the mirror is in the shape of Wonder Woman and the mirror is surrounded by her lasso. I have treasured this for years and have never used it. Is it worth anything?

A: The Wonder Woman mirror cost $7.50 when it was introduced. The value of your mirror in its original box is about $25 today.

***

Q: I received a lovely picture signed “Terone” from a friend about 15 years go. He and his wife had owned it since the 1940s. Can you tell me anything about the artist? Are his works valuable?

A: Alfred T. Terone (1913-1979) and his wife, Cecelia (1916-1999), graduated from New York University and moved to Chicago to work for Borin Art Products, airbrushing pictures that were then mass-produced as prints. The prints were backed with brown paper and mounted in wooden frames. Some of the couple's work was used on old movie sets and some appeared on the TV show, “I Love Lucy.” In 1944 the Terones moved back to New York City, where they worked as commercial artists. Prints like yours sell for about $30 to $50 each in perfect condition.

Q: Years ago, my mother gave me a pair of heavy antique bronze candlesticks. One of them is decorated with four clear hanging glass prisms. The second matching candlestick is missing the prisms, but has hooks to hang them. How can I find replacement prisms?

A: There are suppliers of glass prisms in the United States. We list some in the free directory on our website, Kovels.com. Just go to our home page and search for the word “prisms.” You also can do an Internet search for “replacement glass prisms.” You will want to measure the length of your prisms and examine their cutting design to be sure you buy new ones that closely match your old ones.

Tip: Dust mites are the subject of many articles today. The more humid the environment, the more quickly the mites multiply. Dust mites eat dust particles, then turn to paints and glazing materials on wooden pieces. The only way to prevent damage is to clean regularly and vacuum with a machine that heats up enough to kill the mites.

Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, (Name of this newspaper), King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Ralph and Terry Kovel, syndicated newspaper columnists, best-selling authors, avid collectors and national authorities on antiques, hosted the HGTV series “Flea Market Finds with the Kovels.” Enjoy the shows all over again and explore some of the most exciting flea markets in the U.S. In each episode, Ralph and Terry share their secrets about when and where to shop, what to look for at shops and flea markets, and how to make a good buy.

These DVDs include the first season of the series. You'll see rare marbles, antique quilts, European chests and boxes, Satsuma pottery, ceramic tobacco jars, Bakelite jewelry, vintage plastic dime store toys, Czechoslovakian glass, Big Little Books, can labels and seed packets, old prints, and more! Available online at Kovelsonlinestore.com; by phone at 800-303-1996; or send $29.95 plus $4.95 postage to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

(Cutline for Feb. 24, 2013)

This unique floor lamp is an expensive piece of folk art. It brought $27,600 at a November 2012 auction held at Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter of St. Michaels, Md.